P-3 Orion

A land-based aircraft originally developed for the U.S. Navy for antisubmarine warfare (ASW), the P-3 Orion soon took on the broader role of a maritime patrol aircraft. With the decreasing emphasis on blue-water ASW with the end of the Cold War, the Orion has been modified so it is useful for surveillance over land.

The Navy has shifted the P-3C’s operational emphasis to the littoral regions and is improving the anti-surface warfare (ASUW) capabilities of the P-3C. While it is to be replaced by the P-8 Poseidon, it will be in service through the early 21st century.

History and versions

The original version was based on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner, followed by continuing improvements:

• Update I (1975): new data processing avionics software.
• Update II ((1977) included an infrared detection system, a sonobuoy reference system, the Harpoon anti-ship missile and 28-channel magnetic tape recorder/reproducer.
• Update III (1981): Doubled the number of sonobuoy channels that could be processed.

Avionics

Flight and navigation

• Protected Instrument Landing System
• IFF Mode S and Required Navigation Performance Area Navigation,
• GPS
• AN/ASQ-60 Autopilot

Mission-related

all analog acoustic data recorders are being replaced with digital data recorders.

Anti-surface warfare

The antisurface warfare improvement program (AIP) incorporates enhancements in ASUW, over-the-horizon targeting (OTH-T) and command, control, communications and intelligence (C4I), and improves survivability.

Antisubmarine warfare

• AN/USQ-78(V) Single Advanced Signal Processor system Display Control Unit

coustic processing upgrades through air acoustic rapid COTS insertion (ARCI) and tech refreshes,

Communications

• AN/ARC-230 High Frequency (HF) radio, built around Rockwell-Collins HF-121C voice and data operation at 400W transmit power
• USQ-130/AN/USQ-130 Data Link

• AN/ASX-6 Multi-Mode Imaging System (MMIS)
• Telephonics Secure Digital Intercommunications System (SDI)
• over-the-horizon C4I international marine/maritime satellite (INMARSAT).

Weapons

Carries 20,000 pounds:

• AGM-65F Maverick
• AGM-84 Harpoon
• AGM-84 SLAM
• Mark 46 torpedo
• Mark 50 torpedo
• Mark 54 torpedo

Armament: 20,000 pounds of ordnance, including AGM-84 Harpoon, AGM-84E SLAM, AGM-84H/K and missiles, Mk46/50/54.

Variants and operators

• EP-3 Aries II electronic intelligence]
• VP-3 executive transport,
• NP-3C research and development, testing and evaluation and oceanographic survey aircraft

Primary user: U.S. Navy; many foreign operators

General characteristics

• Primary Function: Antisubmarine warfare(ASW)/Antisurface warfare (ASUW).
• Contractor: Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems Company.
• Date Deployed: First flight, November 1959; Operational, P-3A August 1962 and P-3C August 1969.
• Unit Cost: $36 million.
• Propulsion: Four Allison T-56-A-14 turboprop engines (4,600 hp each)
• Length: 116.7 feet.
• Height: 33.7 feet.
• Wingspan: 99.6 feet.
• Weight: Maximum takeoff, 139,760 pounds
• Airspeed: Maximum, 411 knots; cruise, 328 knots
• Ceiling: 28,300 feet.
• Range: Mission radius, 2,380 nautical miles; for three hours on-station at 1,500 feet, 1,346 nautical miles.
• Crew: (P-3C) three pilots, two naval flight officers, two flight engineers, three sensor operators, one in-flight technician.